Cross-posted at my blog, Fleeceme.net
The Congress shall have power…To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; ~ Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution
Much of the chagrin from the right (and some on the left) about our President’s Libya debacle stem from this one line in the Constitution. From first blush, I can understand a lot of people’s confusion, “The power to declare war”, seems pretty straightforward no? Well, unfortunately it ain’t. If we are to understand why the President has every power to use our armed forces in ANY undeclared war he deems appropriate, we must delve a little deeper into the Constitution. As a caveat, this … Read entire article »

by RightHandMan
It’s become a slogan repeated ad infinitum, “the right wing/tea party/candidate is radical”. It’s supposed to scare you, conjure up images of someone much different from you, someone unstable. This definition, however, doesn’t exactly line up with the word’s historical definition. Let’s take a look.
Webster:
1. a. a root part
b. a basic principle
2. a. root
b. a sound or letter belonging to a radical
3. one who is radical
4. free radical; a group of atoms bonded together that is considered an entity in various kinds of reactions or as a subunit of a larger molecule
5. a. a mathematical expression indicating a root by means of a radical sign
b. radical sign
There are a few different meanings here. Obviously the left is attempting to use definition #3 (one who is radical) in order to … Read entire article »

According to a new poll by Democracy Corps 55 percent of likely voters think “socialist” is a reasonably accurate way of describing Obama. That’s an absolutely astounding number considering it was derived from citizens of a nation that was founded on individual liberties, property rights, and limited government. When the majority of the citizens of this great Republic believe that their chief executive officer is a socialist that should send a pretty clear message that we’re on the wrong track.
Now I know that there is a difference between socialism and communism and I’m not saying that all socialists are communists, but the two philosophies have more in common with each other than they have in common with a free market system and capitalism. Socialism uses capitalism to a degree; however it still attempts to control the means of production just like … Read entire article »

I actually ran across this story about the DISCLOSE Act on Hot Air. Last week, a congressional hearing exposed an effort to give another agency—the Federal Election Commission—unprecedented power to regulate political speech online. At a House Administration Committee hearing last Tuesday, Patton Boggs attorney William McGinley explained that the sloppy statutory language in the “DISCLOSE Act” would extend the FEC’s control over broadcast communications to all “covered communications,” including the blogosphere.
I decided to dig a little deeper and discovered it was very difficult to find information on this topic. The few stories I did find revealed some very scary stuff.
Reason.com has a very good article on this subject. The following is an excerpt from the article. The bill, however, would radically redefine how the FEC regulates political commentary. A section of the … Read entire article »

A few years back my wife and I found a five piece dining room table set at a garage sale. The woman selling the set wanted $30 dollars for all of it. To be honest it was in pretty sad shape. The chairs were scratched and falling apart. The finish on the top of the table was flaking off. Deep scratches and what appeared to be spots of melted wax blanketed the entire surface area of the table. As I walked around and examined it my wife looked at me and said, “I love it!” I shot her a bewildered look and said, “Are you kidding me?” She just smiled as her eyes remained fixed on the object of her desire. I bent down and looked under the table and … Read entire article »

Like many Americans I’m a huge sports fan. I like a number of different sporting events from NASCAR to football. Most team sports are a combination of individual effort and teamwork with a goal of winning. Whether you participate or you’re a spectator, we all tend to get caught up in the games. For a moment in time our troubles seem to lessen as we cheer on our favorite team or player. We experience their successes and failures as if they were our own. Yes that’s right for a moment in time we are distracted from everyday events and all things feel right with sports; we are entertained and happy for it.
In the last days of the Roman Republic the senate was corrupt and for sale to the highest bidder. The people were restless with their elected officials as the senate stripped more and … Read entire article »

Lately there has been a great deal of rhetoric from the left about how the Tea Party movement is filled with racists and hate mongers. They have accused the right of being racist if they disagree with the President. I really try not to fall into this trap, because that’s what it is; a trap. It’s a trap that shuts down legitimate debate about the issues we face today. You can’t debate about the serious problems that our country must address if you haven’t evolved past the name calling phase. I mean this is what kids do in elementary school. We need to be better than that.
Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will … Read entire article »

Today President Obama signed into law legislation that not only enslaves a profession but encroaches on each of our liberties. How fitting it was to do it on March 23rd. It was 235 years ago this day in 1775 that Patrick Henry delivered a speech that captured the emotions of the time and ignited a young nation into action. The place was St John’s Church in Richmond Virginia at the Virginia Convention. His mission was to convince the Virginia delegates that trouble was on the horizon and Virginia had to take steps to prepare for war. Before the final vote he stood before the delegates and masterfully delivered the speech without any notes.
Below is the speech he delivered on that March day:
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as … Read entire article »

From 1776 to 1783 Thomas Paine published sixteen pamphlets known as The American Crisis. These pamphlets were crafted to inspire the colonists during the turbulent times of the American Revolution. The first was released on December 23, 1776. What makes this pamphlet so vital in our country’s history is that Thomas Paine crafted the right words for the right time during the early days of our struggle for independence. Those words inspired General Washington into action. The pamphlet, was read aloud to the Continental army on December 23, 1776, two days before the Battle of Trenton. The first paragraph from it was a call for courage and perseverance.
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands … Read entire article »

Last week we were all introduced to the “Slaughter Solution”; a procedural method that could be used to get around the requirements of the Constitution to pass a bill without actually voting on it. I have read a number or articles both defending and condemning the move.
For me any attack on the Constitution needs to met with a swift and overwhelming response. Most of us picked up the phone and called our representatives, and expressed our deep concerns to some nameless staffer who took down our information and promised to relay our frustrations to our congressman or congresswoman. I have already done this twice so far this week. Some have emailed lengthy rants to their representatives about how the Democrats are trying to destroy the Republic using unconstitutional procedures. … Read entire article »

Last night I was talking to my mother and we were catching up on all the little goings-on back home in Pennsylvania. She was telling me about my nieces and her birthday and how the weather was and so on. The conversation eventually drifted to politics and I could hear in her voice how frustrated she was with Washington DC and all of our elected officials. She mentioned how corrupt DC had become and how this same type of corruption was seeping into Scranton politics. As I listened to her venting her concerns, I noticed a hint of apathy in her voice. Something I had never felt or heard from my mother before.
You see my mother is a conservative and she believes in an America that just doesn’t exist anymore. … Read entire article »

It’s time for the MSM to stop equating the Tea Party movement with an anti-government movement. There is a difference between anti-government and limited government. Now I’ll try to explain this in the simplest of terms and use small words so even the MSM will understand. Many years ago in the year 1787 our Founders crafted a document that placed limitations on government. This document is called the Constitution of the United States. Yes that’s right, the Constitution was designed to limit the powers of government because our Founding Fathers knew all too well the destructive force on liberty and freedoms an all powerful government could have on its citizens.
Now some of the Founders like James Madison believed that the Articles of Confederation, which was the document the colonies used prior to the … Read entire article »

The more I thought about the comments that Chris Matthews and Joan Walsh made about the Bill of Rights and the Constitution the other night on Hardball, the angrier I became. I decided I just couldn’t let it go with one post. You see I am one of those “fundamentalist” on the Constitution that Matthews called out. I believe strongly in the idea of strict and literal adherence to the basic principles of our Constitution. This makes me a dangerous person according to Matthews.
How in God’s name have we reached this point in America? It’s like we’re living in “Bizarro World” where up is down, black is white, and right is wrong. I mean how can a people actually just sit by and allow these political hacks to bash our … Read entire article »

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews’ ignorance about the Constitution and Tea Party movement reached a new level on his show “hardball” when he and far left pal Joan Walsh went after Colin Hanna from Let Freedom Ring. In an attempt to paint the Tea Party movement as a bunch of non-inclusive racist that embraced the original intent of the Constitution, he and Walsh displayed their progressive fangs as they ripped into the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and then questioned the definition of a patriot. It was really disturbing to see. If you all want to know how the far left or progressives feel about our Constitution and those that wish to keep it scared, all you need to do is watch the following clip. This is sad but scary stuff.
After watching this it paints a clear picture of what we’re up against. Trust me when … Read entire article »

I first heard about a plan to get America back on the right track on a conservative talk show a few days ago. Republican Congressman Paul Ryan, from Wisconsin is proposing a “Roadmap for America’s Future” that directly addresses many of the real issues that are bankrupting this nation. To my surprise, I learned that this newly released “roadmap” is actually an upgrade and was first introduced in May 2008. Maybe it never popped up on my radar because it was an election year, but it’s definitely on my radar now. Below is part of the introduction from the Roadmap’s site.
A Choice of Two Futures
Rarely before have the alternatives facing America been so starkly defined.
For the past year, Washington’s leaders have taken an already unsustainable budget outlook and made it far worse. They have … Read entire article »

Today I was talking to a few people about the economy and the current mess we’re in. The conversation eventually flowed towards the Founding Fathers and the Constitution. Before I knew it they were all tuned in to my words and listening attentively. I was recommending one of my favorite books, “The Miracle of The 5,000 Year Leap” when it hit me just how starved these good people were for information about the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. Most of them were quite a bit younger and I could see in their eyes that what I was telling them about liberty and property rights seemed like a new concept. I asked them how much were they taught about the Constitution in school. Most of them shrugged their shoulders. I then … Read entire article »

Well we can finally bury a dismal 2009 and look forward with hope to 2010. In 2009 we saw a variety issues make it to the national stage for debate. From bailouts to healthcare reform it seemed like there was more fundamental change than hope this past year. This change twisted and pulled us in so many different directions we found it hard to focus on any single story. So below are a few things I believe will be significant and you should focus on in 2010.
First off the economy; look for higher interest rates and inflation to begin to become a factor in the economy. The dollar will remain weak throughout 2010. Also look for very little job growth. I believe that the unemployment numbers will level off; however I don’t … Read entire article »

Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about the Cloward-Piven Strategy. To be honest I had never heard of the Cloward-Piven Strategy until the Glenn Beck show. Beck has for some time now been trying to wake people up to what he believes is a very real threat to our economy and nation. I did listen, however I did not feel that it was something worth digging into beyond the Glenn Beck show. I couldn’t even fathom an administration or Congress employing such a strategy. I like many of you believe in the old red, white, and blue and the American way. You know baseball and apple pie. Freedom, liberty, property, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the American citizen are the things I believe in. I wasn’t about to be lumped in with some conservative “kook” that welcomed … Read entire article »

Yesterday I went to my local book store and actually found some excellent bargains. One of the books I purchased was about the Founding Fathers and how they shaped the America we once knew. After reading it, the main thing that caught my attention is just how anti-statist they were. I mean they existed for the longest period self governing their society. It was really a first in modern times. The colonials lived and prospered under an economic “laissez-faire” philosophy. This philosophy was based off of the concept of minimal government interference in economic matters. With loosely assembled governmental entities, the colonials could sell, trade, and barter with little or no taxes and as they saw fit to advance the economic machine of the day. It was a true free market system. Free from governmental regulations, taxes, and … Read entire article »

Does anyone really know the conservative mind? I mean what is a conservative? Is a conservative a bigot? Is a conservative about big business? Is a conservative narrow minded? Or a war monger? Do conservatives believe they have the moral high ground? Are they pro-gun anti-gay anti-government extremist, or something completely different?
Over the last couple of years I have asked myself these questions. After all if I’m going to call myself a conservative I should at least make an attempt to understand the ideology? The problem was I had never really examined why I’m a conservative. By the age of forty I began to experience what I like to call a political ideological mid-life crisis. I found myself scrutinizing my belief system and values wondering if I had chosen the … Read entire article »